If I wanted to become a failure, I would seek advice from
persons who never succeeded. If I wanted to succeed in all things, I would look for those who are succeeding and do as they have done. There is great significance in that statement. Letting the wisdom of these words sink in can be a magnificent revelation. They reinforce a message we often forget. How many times have you engaged in an activity and spent countless, fruitless hours attempting to complete the task only to end up unsuccessful? How often could you have been successful if you had only looked around for the lessons life offers? We don’t have time to constantly reinvent the wheel. Someone already did that and our job is to simply use the invention as best we can to complete a life activity. By taking advantage of what other people have already done, we can multiply our effectiveness and achievements. Doesn’t that sound like a good idea to you? What is the reality? Every day we can find examples of people ignoring what history teaches. We seem doomed to repeat failure. One such lesson is constantly forgotten. It’s the lesson about the free lunch. By this I mean seeking something without exerting any effort. We have all seen government programs, designed with the best intentions, eventually prove unworkable because the core value is the free lunch concept. Something for nothing is exactly that—nothing! Recipients eventually move from expectation to demand. They continue to ask for more while doing less. We forget the fish story—feed a man a fish and you only provide food for that day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Officials legislate without accountability and responsibility. That is a recipe for failure. How many have ventured into new businesses without ever looking at the success techniques people before them have used in similar circumstances. Taking advantage of what others have learned could save time and money and ultimately be the difference between success and failure. Within the National Speakers Association, we have a unique practice that is a positive illustration of learning from others. It is known as our Mentor Program. Even though we are competitors for the opportunities available within our industry, we also believe that if we can make our competitors better, the value of and demand for our services will increase. We have established a very successful mentor program in our New Orleans NSA chapter. An experienced speaker is paired with a person wishing to develop a career as a professional speaker. Through a structured process, mentor and mentee get together at regular intervals to plan the mentee’s career. No secrets exist. Each mentor is genuinely interested in the progress of his or her mentee and willingly shares information about the speaking business. This one-on-one mentoring shortens the learning curve and helps jump start the beginning speaker. The program established in New Orleans has proved to be so successful that our model is being used by all chapters within NSA. Mentoring is a proven method where learning from others can produce dramatic results. Every generation seems determined to forge its own way and, in the process, ignore the lessons of the past. Youngsters don’t want to listen to the experience of their parents. They want to make their own mistakes. Fortunately, most wake up in later years and discover how much wisdom time had bestowed on their parents. It is unfortunate, however, that we spend so much of our youth ignoring parental experience. What is the answer? It helps if you move through life with an inquisitive and open mind, with a mind working like a sponge. It helps if you absorb the lessons life offers. Life is an eternal teacher and it is our roll to be the model student. Pay attention to what life offers and you’ll end up an honor student. Few things in life are as valuable as the experience of others. We don’t have enough time in our journey for success to repeat worthless experiences. By paying attention to what has happened in the past and to what is happening right now, we shorten the trip to maximum potential. Learn the lessons that are all around us. If we learn more than the average person, we will quickly become above average! Other people’s experience is an important component of your search for success. Don’t let this resource go untapped. Using it can really shorten the trip!